Travelers Cup of Cool Water

A cool cup of water.

Trevor Unhappily Eating Breakfast in Vienna

In traveling, it seems that there are seasons of just going and doing. There are also some times that are refreshing like a cup of cool water. It has been a few days since I have written last (about four) and I’ve been in three different countries (Austria, Slovakia, and Spain). Within this whorl wind of visits, I have also found some amazing cups of cool water but I will have to get to those in a minute.

We arrived super early to Vienna Austria (Wien Österreich), about 0500. We planned to stay at the Wombats Youth Hostel, a place in our travels that has come highly recommended. They let us reserve some beds in their dorm, but we were not allowed to actually check in until 1400. Tired, we took showers in their guest showers and ventured into the early morning streets of Vienna. After stopping for breakfast (if you can call a few slices of cheese, meat, garnish, and coffee that) we were both exhausted. We walked about a couple of parks hoping for a bench or nice slab of grass to pass out in. We made our way back to the hostel… but it was still way too early to check in. We both ended up passing out on the sidewalk in the front of the building. After checking in, we took a short nap. I wondered around the city for while and hung out and meet some travelers in the hostel bar. When Trevor finally woke up me, him, Lisa and Chris (a couple from Australia) decided to sneak into the other Wombat bar. It just sounded like fun. We shared Jägerbombs with a couple from Belgem and talked with some film makers from Texas.

The Naschmarkt is Vienna’s most popular market. Located at the Wienzeile over the Wien River.

As always, the next morning came too early and it was time to check into a new hostel (Wombats was full the next night). We found a room at Hostel Ruthensteiner, really a close walk. We again wondered around Vienna. We walked along a main shopping district and watched all of the various street performers. After walking in circles for a bit trying to find our way, we found the Naschmarkt. This seems to be a mixture of open air stores and a flea market. Following all of the winding trails under umbrellas and throngs of people, only to find some very interesting pictures. You can find all of the photos from Vienna on facebook.

Riding the underground to the Schönbrunn Palace it was breath taking to see. The garden behind had millions of little areas to go and explore. That night we went out for a couple of hours. The next morning we were on our way to Slovakia. You’ll have to hear about the cool water experiences a bit later. It’s almost 2130 and I’m supposed to meet up with Trevor in a couple of minutes. Currently I’m in Barcelona… so I’ve got quite a bit to catch you up on.

The Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. One of the most important cultural monuments in the country, since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna. The palace and gardens illustrate the tastes, interests, and aspirations of successive Habsburg monarchs.